Thursday, April 25, 2013

West Texas Bird of the Day: Greater Roadrunner

I love it when birds do stuff. We spotted this Greater Roadrunner in Rio Grande Village, TX, and watched it for a while from the van-come-bird blind. That's key, we watched it, we didn't just look and drive on. And low and behold it leaped forward and snatched a lizard from the leaves and proceeded to make a great show of smashing it senseless against the ground before running off triumphantly with it, perhaps to a nest. Fantastic - I chuckled all the way home to the Chisos Lodge.

This blog is about. . .

. . . sharing the joy found in birds and life. Especially birds, birders and birding in Cape May, NJ, where I happen to live. Generally I stick to thoughts and photos of birds and other wildlife, with occasional i.d. tips or ecology notes, though wider-ranging subjects creep in now and then.

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About Me

A wildlife professional for 32 years, with a career including the Cape May Bird Observatory; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; NJ Audubon; Rutgers U.; Hunterdon Cty, NJ Parks; and the NJ Div.of Fish and Wildlife. Specialized in the human dimensions of wildlife conservation, with substantial habitat management, academic, and wildlife research experience. Operated a MAPS banding station for many years, a past member of the NJ Bird Records Committee, past editor of Records of New Jersey Birds, and a current board member of the NJTWS. Traveled to 24 states, 11 countries, and 5 continents, mostly as a birding tour leader. Competed in the NJ World Series of birding for 25 years, as a member of winning teams several times; in the Great Texas Birding Classic 4 times, winning once; and in Israel’s Champions of the Flyway event. Written over 1000 articles, 2 books and 3,000 blog posts, virtually all on some aspect of nature. Free-time pursuits include birding, hunting, traditional archery, photography, kayaking and training retrievers. Especially proud of my three adult children.